Spider-Byte: Multiversal Madness

Chapter 16: Spider VS Man

Miles shook off his close-to-numb legs as he continued to run around Nueva Yorke. He found himself in an underground tunnel. The walls were too tight and suffocating. The darkness was blinding. The ceiling was low. This was the type of place that would make someone's chest tighten, even if they weren't being chased by hundreds of vigilantes with spider powers.

Miles ran down three levels, his lungs catching on fire.

Run.

Run faster, Miles.

Don't stop.

No time.

Two days.

It'll be all your fault if-

"Miles!" Melody's voice pierced through his thoughts, but he kept walking. " Miles. Miles!" She kept calling. His jaw clenched, head forward, Miles murmured, "No."

He took a left, then a right, then slid under a halfway opened door. Only to realize he was at a dead end. Of course he was. Miles bent over, taking off his mask as he gasped for air. He looked at the vent below him, analyzing the best way to open it to escape.

Melody came right after, catching her breath as her mask disappeared. She looked like a hot mess; her shoulders were tense, fear written in her eyes, her disheveled curls all over the place. "Miles, I was calling you! Can you slow down-" Miles turned to Melody immediately. "Slow down?" Miles asked, followed by a bitter laugh. His voice raised, "SLOW DOWN? Are you kidding me right now?!" Melody rubbed her temples, "Look, I'm just trying to help-" "By doing what? Talking? Her jaw locked. "By making sure you don't get yourself killed, pendejo." "Oh, so now you wanna play you care and you wanna be nice to me?" Melody's blood boiled at his statement. Was this really the person she had feelings for?

"Miles", she tried to keep her voice stable, "do you even have a plan?" He stayed silent for a couple seconds, wracking his brain for a good enough answer. "It'll come as I go." Melody scoffed, "That's not a plan, Morales. Do you have a death wish or something? We can barely fight The Spot as a team and he's getting stronger. What makes you think you can take him on by yourself?" "Well, since you're so knowledgeable, do you see any POSSIBLE other choice I can have right now?!"

She stepped closer to him, "We can hide! Lay low here for a bit and brainstorm together-" He cut her off...again. This time, he erupted in laughter that didnt warm hearts. "So lemme get this straight. YOU want ME to stay here and wait for a miracle while my dad is close to dying?!" The words just flew out of him, leaving him breathless and with a shaky voice.

"My dad dies in two days. TWO DAYS MELODY."

Melody looked down at the bloody bruise on her wrist from scratching. "I know," she said quietly.

"Then stop standing in my way and help me, please! If Miguel locks me up, I'm done. I'll never even get the chance to try and I'll just sit here, basically letting it happen!"

"Miles, I know it's hard-"

He snapped, pacing and pulling on his hair. "No! No you don't! You don't know what it's like to watch someone's time run out!"

Melody's mood darkened. She had to take a second to stare at him, hoping he didn't mean that. "...you really think I don't?" She asked softly.

Miles stopped pacing and got close to her, glaring at her. "Lemme correct myself. You DO know," he continued, his voice rising, and the words spilling out faster than he could think, "but I got a real big problem being like you and standin' around, doin' nothin' and watching people I love die in front of me!"

...

The room went silent.

Miles felt the bitter aftertaste of his words on his tongue.